Behind the Headlines

"Fertility breakthrough means babies could be conceived from skin cells – so men can have babies with each other," is the excitable headline in the Daily Mirror. But the research in the news is at an early stage – and was in mice…

"Women should use the coil rather than the morning-after pill as emergency contraception, according to official new guidelines," the Mail Online reports. The guidelines, from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence…

"Babies born by caesarean more likely to be obese as adults, study suggests," The Guardian reports. A US study found that babies born via caesarean section had a 64% increased risk of becoming obese compared to their siblings born by vaginal delivery…

"Vitamin D supplements could halve risk of serious asthma attacks," The Guardian reports. A review of previous data found that vitamin D supplements could have a protective effect against serious asthma attacks when taken alongside...

"Millions of Brits face dying early because of something they did when they were children," says the Daily Mirror's needlessly alarming headline. The newspaper reports on a study which found that a head injury causing concussion…

"Feeding infants good bacteria 'can slash their risk of getting asthma'," is the Mail Online's entirely speculative headline. The study the news comes from did find a link between certain patterns of gut bacteria and fungi…

"Parents are risking their babies' lives by putting expensive pillows in their cots to stop the back of their heads being flattened," the Daily Mail reports. A review of parental attitudes found some were ignoring advice…

"Music festivals including Glastonbury have become a hotbed of measles this summer, Public Health England has warned," BBC News reports. The public health body have called on young people to check their vaccination status before attending an event…